Fallout 3: Radiation
by KelpieandTheHuntress
Summary: Andromeda never asked for this. She didn't ask to be born into this sick and twisted world, and she definitely didn't ask to die for it. So what was she doing, traveling the Wastelands, fighting creatures she'd never even hear of, meeting people she didn't care to meet, all for him? The man who left her? Was she really so stupid? The answer was yes. Yes she was.
1. Radiation

_A/N: This is my first posted story on this site, so I apologize if the formatting's not that great lol. I still got to learn my way around this site._

 _I do have this story uploaded on Wattpad, in case anyone has seen it before and thinks I'm stealing it lol. I liked the formatting of Wattpad and wanted to see what people thought of my writing. Now I figured I would try to upload it to this site._

 _I, of course, do not own Fallout 3 in any way, shape or form. This is purely a not for profit fan work._

…..

 **Radiation**

 _I don't want to set the world on fire_

 _I just want to start_

 _A flame in your heart_

 _In my heart I have but one desire_

 _And that one is you_

 _No other will do_

 _I've lost all ambition for worldly acclaim_

 _I just want to be the one you love_

 _And with your admission that you feel the same_

 _I'll have reached the goal I'm dreaming of_

 _Believe me_

 _I don't want to set the world on fire_

 _I just want to start_

 _A flame in your heart_

 _I don't want to set the world on fire, honey_

 _I love ya to much_

 _I just wanna start a great big flame_

 _Down in your heart_

 _You see, way down inside of me_

 _Darlin' I have only one desire_

 _And that one desire is you_

 _And I know nobody else ain't gonna do_

 _I've lost all ambition for worldly acclaim_

 _I just want to be the one you love_

 _And with your admission that you feel the same_

 _I'll have reached the goal I'm dreaming of_

 _Believe me_

 _I don't want to set the world on fire_

 _I just want to start_

 _A flame in your heart_

...

War. War never changes.

Since the dawn of human kind, when our ancestors first discovered the killing power of rock and bone, blood has been spilled in the name of everything; from God to justice to simple, psychotic rage.

In the year 2077, after millennia of armed conflict, the destructive nature of man could sustain itself no longer. The world was plunged into an abyss of nuclear fire and radiation.

But it was not, as some had predicted, the end of the world. Instead, the apocalypse was simple the prologue to another bloody chapter of human history. For man had succeeded in destroying the world - but war, war never changes.

In the early days, thousands were spared the horrors of the holocaust by taking refuge in enormous underground shelters, known as Vaults. But when they emerged, they had only the hell of wastes to greet them - all except those in Vault 101. For on that fateful day, when fire rained from the sky, the giant steel door of Vault 101 slid closed... and never reopened. It was here you were born. It is here you will die.

Because, in Vault 101: no one ever enters, and no on ever leaves.


	2. What Should Have Been and Never Was

My whole life I have been considered lucky.

People I've meet in my travels have constantly told me I'm the luckiest son of a gun they've every met, or else that I must have been blessed with some unnatural luck.

And sure, I've escaped death numerous times, usually by just a hairs breath. And yes, maybe once or twice I've gotten out of impossible situations with everything still in tacked and maybe nabbed a little extra.

I've survived when people thought I was a goner. I've succeeded at the impossible. I am considered a legend.

But that's what I don't understand.

I'm not lucky.

Is being thrown face first into danger, lucky?

Is being on the brink of death more times then I wish to count, lucky?

Is losing the most important person in your life, lucky?

Is losing your only friend, lucky?

Is being kicked out of the only home you have ever known into a world you have never even begun to imagine, lucky?

Is losing everything you've ever cared for, lucky?

My life is not lucky. **I** am not lucky.

What's lucky about dying for a world you don't even know?

...

July 13, 2258

I was born.

 _"Let's see... Are you a boy or a girl?"_

I don't remember it, but then again, who does?

 _"It's a girl?..."_

It was apparently bloody, and painful.

 _"A girl! We've got a daughter, Catherine! A beautiful, healthy baby girl!"_

It's probably the single most important event in our lives; the moment we first enter this world, the moment we take our first breath of air, the moment that sets our whole unavoidable destiny in motion.

 _"Oh... Oh James... We did it... A daughter... Our beautiful daughter..."_

And yet we cannot remember it for the life of us.

 _"You've got a bright future ahead of you, sweetie. I'm sure of it..."_

Is that strange? That we can't remember it?

It's kind of funny if you think about it; we don't remember the beginning of our life, but we sure as hell feel the end of it.

 _"Look at you, look at you... Hi, there. I'm your daddy, sweetheart. Daddy."_

My father held me apparently, my mother never got a chance. He was so proud of me when I was born, or so he's told me.

That a bit strange though, isn't? To be proud of someone you've known for all of 10 seconds? For something as stupid as being forced out into this hellish world?

It wasn't even my choice. If I had been given the option, knowing everything I do now, I don't know if I would have taken it. I would have been much happier if I'd never been born, I'm sure.

 _"You're going to need a name, aren't you?"_

A name... Yes, a name. So simple and yet so complicated.

To think, a simple string of letters could cause such reactions in others. A simple drop of one of these 'names' could mean the difference between life and death.

It wasn't something I had ever even considered before... Well, before all this.

 _"Your mother and I have been talking. What do you think about..."_

I didn't choose my name, just like I've never chosen anything in my life.

Like everything, it was forced upon me. No asking what I wanted, no seeing if this was okay with me first.

No. Just like everything in my life, I was expected to just accept it.

 _"...Andromeda. That's a good name. Don't you think? Fits you perfectly."_

Yes... fits me perfectly.

 _"Looks like they've finished the gene projection. Let's see what you'll look like when you're all grown up."_

Ahh, and there it is, the marvels of technology. The very thing that killed us is the very thing we are so depended on. Does no one else find irony in this?

Female. Caucasian. Long brown hair. Green eyes.

 _"You're going to look a lot like your dad."_

I wouldn't consider myself pretty, plain more like, but my father says I remind him of my mother and he's always called her beautiful, so I've never had the heart to argue with him.

Though who knows, maybe he wasn't talking about my looks being like my mothers, seeing as everyone else says I look like my dad.

 _"See that, Catherine?"_

 _"Ohhh... Beautiful... just like her daddy... Ha ha ha..."_

I'm pale, like my father, unlike my mother and _unlike_ the other members of Vault 101. I get teased constantly for it.

 _"It's a big world out there, honey, full of all sorts of people."_

Yes, many I would never have even considered could exist.

 _"What about you?"_

Some foul. Some cruel.

Some kind. Some honest.

Some hideously deformed.

Others just barely surviving.

Some I will befriend. Some who will try and kill me. Some who will become my comrades, and still others that will die by my own hand.

 _"What kind of person are you going to be?"_

 _Beep._

What sort of person indeed.

 _Beep._

Did I make you proud father?

 _Beep._

What about you mother? Did I make you proud?

 _Beep. Beep._

 _"You're just a-"_

 _Beep. Beep. Beep._

 _"James?"_

 _Beep. Beep. Beep!_

 _"Catherine?"_

 _Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!_

 _"James..."_

 _Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!_

 _"Catherine!"_

 _"Something's... Something's..."_

 _Beepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeep!_

 _"She's in Cardiac Arrest! Start compressions! Get the baby out of here! Move. Move!"_

 _Beepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeep-_

 _"One, one thousand. Two, one thousand... Come on!"_

 _Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee..._

What sort of person indeed...

 _"Hang on, Catherine! Hang on!"_


	3. How Old?

**ONE YEAR LATER**

 _"Okay, here we are..."_

 _"We need a doctor, not a deadbeat..."_

 _"This ones on the house..."_

 _"Fail to meet my expectations and there will be consequences..."_

 _"Now, a toast!"_

 _"Don't make me regret this..."_

 _"James and his cheery charity..."_

 _"You need to learn your place..."_

 _"May your future be bright!"_

...

"Don't look straight into the light, honey. You'll hurt your eyes."

This is my first memory.

I'm one year's old.

"It's just something you get used to down here."

My father is talking to me.

I don't know what he's talking about. As far as I'm concerned, the florescent light above us is normal. It's all I've ever known.

"Come on over here, sweetie. Come on! Walk to daddy!"

I'm a fast learner apparently, or so my father liked to brag.

"You can do it! Over here!"

We're in a room, the same one that I will one day call home. It's grey and metallic, designed for functionality, not comfort.

"There you go! My goodness! Just a year old, and already walking like a pro. Your mother would have been so proud."

I'll admit, it's a hazy memory at best. But I do remember my father. He's sad. He misses my mother and doesn't like this place, though it will take me a few years to understand why.

"Listen, kiddo, I know you don't like it when Daddy leaves you alone-"

I don't. I really don't.

"-but I need you to take care of yourself for a minute."

I'm shut inside one of those stupid children's playpens. I hate these things.

"You just stay here while Daddy runs to his office. You'll be okay, honey. I'll be back in a bit."

He always said that, 'I'll be back in a bit', and I always believed him, because why would he lie? And where could he go? We're trapped in a Vault. There was no where he could run to. Just like the Overseer always says, 'It was here you were born. It is here you will die'. I always believed that. Why would I question everything I've ever known?

When did all that become a lie? When did you begin to lie to me?

I'm not an idiot.

I'm smart.

Maybe not the smartest person in Vault 101, definitely not as smart as my father (who I've always considered the smartest person in the world. What a fool I was...), but I am smart. Smart enough to know how to push up and over on the bolt to make it move and push on the pens door to swing it open.

And so I escape, escape this child prison made of metal and simple locks that was meant to contain me. Because I can. Because nothing can contain me (I would make sure of that).

But now I am bored, because I left my bright red bouncy ball in the pen and I don't think to go back in and get it (I do swear that I'm smart).

So I search out my favorite book, because I can read (albeit, not well), unlike most 1 year olds I know. Told you I was a fast learner. And smart, don't forget smart.

'You're SPECIAL!'.

What a nice tittle that is. You're special. You are special.

You're. Special. Isn't that nice?

Not 'We're Special'. Not 'We're All Special'. Not 'Everyone is Special you dolt, not just you. Get over yourself'.

No. Just, 'You Are Special'.

First page. 'S is for Strength, and that means I am strong! I can carry more toys and swing stuff all day long'.

I'm not that strong. Believe me, the only reason I've survived this long is because I've had others to rely on. I got bullied constantly by my playmates for years, until my father began to train me that was. Then I became strong. But that was only physically and it wasn't by much. I was still fairly weak by 'others' standards. It wasn't until much later that I found out the true meaning of strength.

The next page. 'P is for Perception, a long funny word! It means what I tasted, smelled, saw and heard!'.

It was a pretty funny word back then, I'll admit. Per-cep-tion. What did I say, funny right?

Not so funny anymore. Not after what I've seen, what I've been through...

And the next. 'E is for Endurance, and that's how long I can play! I'm always really healthy, and have energy all day!'.

Not so great at this. Though, it's a wonder what being chased by Raiders will do to one's ability to keep running, or else die. I've always been pretty healthy though, so for that I was thankful, meant a whole lot less to deal with when I'm out there, facing death at every corner.

'C is for Charisma-'

Something I never had in the Vault, and something I only came to understand outside of it.

'-it's why people think I'm great! I make my friends all laugh and smile, and never want to hate!'

I had very few friends in the Vault, and Amata would be the only one I ever really considered a true friend. The rest were mainly just older people who were friends of my fathers and so were nice to me.

'I is for Intelligence, it means I'm really smart! I use my brain for a lot of stuff, like science, math and art!'

Now I'm not book smart, I'm street smart, which is strange seeing as I've lived my entire life in a small, enclosed space and had no knowledge of the outside world except for stories or what my father had told me. But I was good at planning. Planning escapes and traps, ways to trick my enemy or else get what I wanted _without_ resorting to violence...

'A is for Agility, that's how I get around! I move real fast, and easy, and I never make a sound!'.

Now this, this I pride myself on. I trained everyday to achieve the level of flexibility I possess today (which is a lot. I can do splits and everything), and am as silent as a shadow. It comes in very handy when I have to slip past those pesky Super Mutants.

I was also the fastest in the Vault, another fact I prided myself on. Nobody could keep up to me, and I loved to run. Loved the feeling of the air, no longer so stale and flat, moving through my hair. Loved the feeling of freedom as I tore down those halls, the thrill of beating my opponents, the power of being able to force myself faster and faster and knowing it's _me_ in control. No one else. Just me, and for once in my life, I am all alone (how naive I was to think _that_ was all I wanted). It was just me, myself, and I. Free.

It was just to bad the hallways always ended.

The last one I always hated.

'L is for Luck, and its simple, you see! It means that good things always happen to me!'

Nothing is ever simple, lets leave it at that.

I don't know what I found so great about this book. It was just a simple, childish book, filled with pretty colors and simple words. Yet it held my attention like flies to honey. Then again, I was a child, and children think the strangest things. Children still believe that the world is a wonderful place, that nothing will harm them, that there is nothing beyond that huge door labeled 101, and most importantly, that their parents love them and would never leave them.

Such a stupid book really... But it wasn't like there was a whole lot of choice anyway. Reading material was limited, took up too much valuable room. When you live in a Vault, you tend to be forced to share everything and so, very few things actually belong to only you. The toys in the toy box (a stuffed teddy bear, a rattle, a plastic toy race car, and a single block with the letter 'A' on two sides and pictures of apples on the others) don't belong to me. There either hand-me-downs or only with me for a short amount of time before they are passed on to the next kid to use and enjoy. Even my cradle belonged to someone else. That's the way of the Vaulters, share everything except people, basically.

In fact, the only decent thing to read in here was in the one and only picture frames we possessed.

'I am Alpha and Omega,

the beginning and the end.

I will give unto him

that is athirst of

the fountain

of the water of life

freely.

Revelation 21:6'

It was pretty, but basically meaningless to me at this stage in my life.

The door opened when I teetered closer on unstable legs. My father stood in the doorway. Surprise flickered across his face when he spotted me before transforming into a proud, happy smile (was that a lie?).

"Ha ha ha! You're quite the little explorer, aren't you?"

Were you proud of me then father?

"Serves me right for trying to pen you in!"

Yes, serves you right that I would turn on you.

"Come on over here. I want to show you something."

And so I follow him, because he is my father and I trust him. I don't need to think about it. I love him.

"See that? It was your mother's favorite passage. It's from the Bible, Revelation 21:6."

The only connection I have (we both have) to the dead woman who gave birth to me, is this.

"'I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.' She always loved that... All right. Come on. Let's go see if your little friend Amata wants to play..."

Once again I follow him, follow him as he leads me down the hall, follow him as he leads me through my life, follow him as he leads me to my destiny.

But no. No, I cannot blame my father. Not for everything at least. And try as I might, I can never truly bring myself to hate him, even if he did leave me for dead in that hell hole, even if his actions did force me to leave my only home, even if it forced me to travel greater lengths then I ever thought possible, across great burning deserts, over large, treacherous mountains and huge expansions of Wastelands with danger hunting my every move and death around every corner.

All in search of him.


	4. The Surprise

**NINE YEARS LATER**

 _"These experiments are a waste of time..."_

 _"Teachers pet!"_

 _"It's a pleasure. I'm Jonas. Um... I guess... I'm your new assistant."_

 _"The experiments are to prepare..."_

 _"You gonna cry? Waah!"_

 _"I don't know why you don't understand..."_

 _"I'm so sorry..."_

"Surprise!"

"Surprise!"

"Surprise."

"Surprise!"

"Stanley. You turned the lights on too fast. You blinded the poor kid!" Officer Gomez chuckled as he claps along with everyone else. Stanley looks slightly sheepish and rubs the back of his neck apologetically.

"Happy Birthday!"

Andromeda blinks, her eyes still adjusting to the bright lights as she lowers her arms.

A banner spelling the words 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY' was strung in between two large pipes, one water one gas. A couple of balloons float in a corner, each a different colour, and a small cake (is that real icing?!) sits on the counter beside some pointy party hats.

There are 9 guests in all, only 5 of which she was actually happy to see.

In front of her stands her father, wearing his signature white lab coat, his beard growing longer and more unkempt by the day. He looks tired, but he's smiling, his green eyes, so like hers, twinkling with love and joy.

She can't help but smile back.

She's 10. Today is her 10th birthday. July 13, 2268. What is there not to be happy about?

"Can you believe it? She is growing up so fast."

That's Old Lady Palmer, the oldest resident of Vault 101. She sits in one of the booths and smiles her gappy smile, a red polkadotted party hat on her grey hair. Andromeda always liked her. She was the closest thing she had to a Grandmother. Closest thing any of them had to a Grandmother.

"Happy birthday, honey!" her father congratulated. "I can't believe you're already 10. I'm so proud of you."

For what? Surviving?

"If only your mother..."

The unspoken meaning hangs in the air between them as her father looks anywhere but at her. It's always like that. Anytime her mother comes up he trails off, becoming silent and staring at anything but her, almost as though to look at her would make everything too real, before he goes back to acting as though nothing happened.

He's never blamed her for her mother's death, but the guilt always claws at her.

"Congratulations, young lady!" Overseer Almodovar said in his usual condescending tone, and for once in her life, Andromeda was actually happy he was here, if just to save her from the uncomfortable silence of her father's memories. "I don't have to tell you how special this day is, do I?"

No, of course not. This is the day every Vault resident under 10 dreams of. It's really the only thing to look forward too.

At age 10, every Vault 101 resident receives a Pip-Boy 3000.

"Down here in Vault 101, when you turn 10, well, you're ready to take your first official Vault responsibilities," the Overseer continued as he reached behind him and brought out a Pip-Boy, which he proceeded to hold out to her. "So here you are. As Overseer, I hereby present to you your very own Pip-Boy 3000! Get used to it."

Andromeda reached out hesitantly for the Pip-Boy. She had dreamed of this moment for a long time, but something in the Overseers words seemed to hold some kind of darker warning.

'Get used to it'. What did he mean by that?

"You'll be getting your first work assignment tomorrow. Ha ha ha ha!"

Andromeda's head snapped up at the Overseers words but he was already walking away, back to his seat across from Old Lady Palmer in one of the two booths present in this Dining Area.

What work assignment?!

She looked quickly to her father for some kind of reassurance. She was only 10! They weren't supposed to even know their assigned jobs until after they had taken the G.O.A.T.! And they didn't take that until they were 16! The actual work didn't start until they had finished their schooling at age 19.

Her father gave her a reassuring smile, which looked a bit more like a grimace, and Andromeda breathed a silent sigh of relief.

"Enjoy your party. You're only 10 once, so have fun," he prompted, clapping her softly on the back and walking away towards a seat at the bar beside Stanley, the Vaults Mechanic.

Andromeda took a deep breath and struggled to ignore the panic that rose in her, her fingers clenching around the Pip-Boy. She wasn't a baby anymore. She shouldn't be feeling lost just because her father wasn't with her 24/7. Imagine what Butch would say if he knew she didn't like to be away from her daddy...

She loosened her grip on the Pip-Boy and placed it over her left wrist, where it clipped on with a resounding 'Clank'. It fit snuggly and securely and the Overseers words echoed in her head again.

 _Get used to it._

The Pip-Boy, or Personal Information Processor, was the life of those living in the Vaults. It had everything they needed. A map of the Vault, a radio, a calendar, a place for notes and reminders. It also worked as a flashlight, displayed the wearer's status, and even gave information on whatever you wanted to know.

And it never came off.

... At least it wasn't supposed to. Unless it broke.

"Happy Birthday!" a cheerful voice shouted loudly in her ear. She nearly jumped a foot in the air and turned to find her long time friend, Amata, grinning from ear to ear beside her and holding something behind her back."We really surprised you, didn't we?"

Andromeda nodded, her heart still hammering painfully in her chest. The other children often teased her for being a scaredy cat.

Amata laughed. "Your dad was afraid you were onto us. But I told him not to worry. You're so easy to fool."

She smiled weakly. She had in fact been slightly suspicious that something was going on, it was hard to keep anything secret down here, but had been pleasantly surprised by it nonetheless.

"It's a great party, Amata. Thanks for doing this for me," she told her friend quietly.

She never really understood why Amata was her friend. Most of the other children despised her, learning it from their parents. But Amata treated her just the same as she treated everyone. With fairness and kindness.

The bubbly girl was good at pulling her from her shell though, and Andromeda was always willing to go along with whatever hair brained plan Amata had cooked up, so she supposed it had worked out for the best.

Amata's smile widened at the praise. "You're welcome. But really, your dad did most of it. I just helped with the decorations and stuff." A sly grin stretched across her face as she spoke. "Hey, I bet you can't guess what I got you for your birthday. Go on, guess!" she demanded with a laugh.

"Uhh... I really have no idea..."

"Ha! I knew I'd surprise you," she said with an air of superiority before it faded behind a bright smile. "Who's your favorite barbarian?"

Andromeda gasped. "You didn't..."

"That's right, Grognak! Issue 14, and with no missing pages!" Amata said proudly, taking out the comic book she had hidden behind her back.

Andromeda took it with excited hands. Books were hard to come by here, but comic books were even rarer, especially in this condition, and Grognak was a favorite of hers. Everyone's favorite really. There wasn't a whole lot of choice.

It was about a heroic barbarian who fought evil, saved damsels in distress and found priceless treasure.

"Is this the one where he fights the 100 headed Dragon?!" she asked excitedly.

Amata nodded. "Yep," she said. "And saves Princess Fringail. I found it in a box of my father's old things, believe it or not. Imagine him reading comic books."

She couldn't.

Amata shrugged. "I guess everybody was ten once."

She held the comic gently to her chest, careful not to crease it, feeling a happiness she hadn't felt in a long time bubbling in her chest. "Thank you Amata. This is... this is the best present I could ask for, from the best friend I could ever have."

Amata smiled brighter and grabbed one of her hands. "Come on. Lets mingle!"

She dragged Andromeda after her, who was still marveling over the comic book, and into the group of partygoers.

The first person they stopped in front of was Paul Hannon Jr, a class mate of theirs and only a year or so younger than her.

"Ah man, you got a Pip-boy. I wish I was 10," he said, eyeing her new Pip-Boy. He looked back up at her sheepishly and, after glancing around himself to make sure none of his friends were around, added in a quiet voice, "And, uh, thanks for inviting me. Really cool party and everything. I know that, uh, Butch and I give you a hard time, but you don't take that seriously, right?"

Of course she took it seriously. Butch was always calling her names and beating on her. Paul Jr. on the other hand mostly just went along with his friends, though he did seem to hold back more than the others.

Amata snorted angrily beside her, but thankfully didn't say anything. The last thing she wanted was for her friend to start a fight.

"Anyway," Paul Jr. continued, glancing nervously at Amata, who never failed to stand up for her friend. "Happy birthday and everything. I better get back to, you know..."

And with that he turned and made his way over to where his friends sat, discussing something with heads close together.

Amata snorted angrily again. "He's such a wimp. If he feels so bad about picking on you then he should stop."

Andromeda didn't respond. It didn't matter if she agreed with her friend or not. Nothing would change. She would always be the outsider.

They moved on to the next guest.

Sitting alone in her booth was Old Lady Palmer. Andromeda had been sure she had seen Overseer Almodovar sit down across from her before, but now she couldn't find him anymore. Had he left?

"Good evening Old- Mrs. Palmer," Amata corrected, greeting the woman brightly. "I hope you're enjoying yourself?"

"Oh, very much, dear," Old Lady Palmer said, either not catching the slip up, or deciding to let it slide.

"And are you having a nice party?" she asked, smiling sweetly a little to the left of Andromeda. Old Lady Palmer couldn't see that well anymore and one of her eyes was a cloudy, milky white rather than light blue, like the other. It was a common trait of hers to stare a bit to the left of whoever she was speaking to.

"Ten years old, my my my," she reminisced. "Seems like only yesterday that your daddy came..."

Came? Came from where? What did Old Lady Palmer mean?

She stopped though, leaving the question unanswered. "Goodness, listen to me ramble! You're waiting for your present, aren't you?"

The prospect of Old Lady Palmer's present drove the questions from her mind.

"Yes, ma'am," she nodded.

Old Lady Palmer's presents were always the same, but that didn't make it any less enjoyable. One of her famous sweetrolls was always welcome.

"Such a nice polite young lady you are!" Old Lady Palmer smiled brightly. "Don't ever lose your gift of speaking your mind so directly. We could use more of that down here."

She took a carefully wrapped package out from her pocket and handed it to Andromeda with shaking hands. Andromeda grasped her hands gently to steady them as she accepted her gift.

Old Lady Palmer smiled, the gaps in her teeth like a checkered pattern.

"Here you go, a nice sweetroll that I baked for you just this morning. And it's all for you— You're the birthday girl, no sharing required today!" she unexpectedly grasped Andromeda's hand tightly in her own, putting pressure on the still smooth skin of her wrist with a grip stronger than Andromeda would have expected, and leaned towards her, speaking in a hushed whisper. "You've grown up into such a fine young lady. Your father must be very proud of you."

She released Andromeda's wrist just as quickly and smiled sweetly. "Go on now, I'm sure you've had quite enough old lady chitchat for one birthday!"

Andromeda moved away hesitantly, rubbing the spot where Old Lady Palmer had gripped her. Why had she wanted to tell Andromeda that? Like it was supposed to be some kind of secret?

She already knew her father was proud of her. He had said so himself.

They passed by Butch's table next. His group hushed and looked up at her and Armata as they passed, their eyes glaring at her to scram. She flinched.

She hated Butch and his group. Why did they always pick on her?

The only one she might have ever liked was Paul, and that was only because he could be nice when he wanted. Butch and the rest had never done one nice thing in their lives.

She didn't realize what she was doing until it was too late.

"Hi, Paul," she greeted softly, trying to repay his kindness, as they walked past the table. Truthfully, she should have just stayed silent, but she'd been having such a great day so far, so she had gone for it.

"What, is she your best friend now? Hey, Wally, I think Paul's in love~" Butch teased mercilessly.

"Yeah, Paul, why don't you introduce us to your new girlfriend?" Wally sneered.

Amata stopped and turned to snap at them, but Paul spoke first.

"I am not!" Paul tried to argue, his face flush with embarrassment. He turned to sneer at her, all previous kindness he had shown her evaporating. "Who would ever like a dork-face like her?"

Andromeda's face turned red and tears pricked at her eyes. She hung her head and turned to leave, grabbing Amata's arm to stop her from leaping forward and attacking the table.

"Yeah, that's right. Run away you butt-face! Get lost before I make you cry," Butch called after them.

"I'll make _you_ cry, Butch!" Amata shouted at him as Andromeda dragged her away kicking and screaming.

"Why'd you stop me?" she demanded once Andromeda let her go. "You can't let him bully you like that! You've got to stand up for yourself!"

"I just... I just don't want to make a scene," she explained quietly. "Besides, Butch is way stronger then I am. I'd just get beaten up."

Amata frowned and opened her mouth to retort, probably something along the line of 'You have to stand up for yourself' again, but Andromeda cut her off.

"Please, Amata. Not today."

Amata shut her mouth but the frown remained.

There was a loud buzzing noise behind them and they both turned in time to be hit with pieces of cake and frosting. They turned to each other in shock, and upon seeing the others face covered in cake and frosting flecks, burst out laughing.

 _"I deeply apologize,"_ came the robotic voice of Andy, the Vaults only robot, from behind the counter, his saw blade hovering just over the now destroyed cake. _"Oh, I am mortified. Simply mortified."_

"It's alright, Andy," Andromeda assured with a laugh, wiping some of the icing off her face with a finger and licking it off. "Mmmm, it tastes delicious."

 _"Ah, oh, then allow me to wish you a happy birthday. I would offer you some cake, but..."_

Andromeda and Amata both laughed.

"How do you like that Pip-Boy, little miss?" another voice spoke up from the end of the bar. "Fit all right and everything? You let me know if that Pip-Boy ever gives you any trouble."

It was Stanley, the Vault Technician.

Andromeda smiled brightly. "It's really cool. Did you fix it up for me?"

He smiled and nodded. "As a matter of fact I did. I'm glad you like it. Some may think the A series a bit basic, but I've always preferred them for their reliability."

"Thanks, Stanley."

"Don't mention it," he laughed. "Oh yes, I almost forgot. Happy birthday! It's not much, but I hope you like it."

He threw something across the counter to her.

"It's a baseball cap. Thought you might need one now that I hear you'll be trying out for the Vault team."

The Vault had very few sports teams, and Baseball was the most popular. Everyone would be trying out for it.

Although, it wasn't so much a tryout as it was being assigned a position. There weren't enough people in the Vault to be picky about who was and wasn't on the team.

"Thanks!"

Andromeda picked it up and secured it on her head.

"So, how do I look, Amata?" she asked, turning to her friend.

Amata pretended to scrutinize her for a moment before grinning broadly. "Great! You'll get Pitcher for sure."

Andromeda laughed.

She sincerely hoped she got Pitcher, but it was more likely that she would be far out in the field, somewhere the rest of the team could ignore.

"How the party going, honey? Butch isn't making to many problems, is he?"

She turned as her father took the seat beside Stanley.

"Hey dad. Where have you been?"

He smiled good-naturedly at her. "Oh, here and there," he explained, avoiding her question just as she had avoided his.

He was hiding something from her. But what was it? Did it have something to do with what he and Jonas were working on? The big secret they always discussed in hush voices when they were in his office back at the Clinic?

"We did a good job with the surprise, right?" Amata spoke up, smiling broadly as she looked between Andromeda and her father. "It really surprised her, didn't it!"

"I'm sure of it, Amata," her father laughed. "Never suspected a thing. Now go on and enjoy yourself. You earned it. I have to talk with my daughter for a minute."

Amata's smile faded slightly, but she did as Andromeda's father had asked. "Okay then. I'll see you around, Andromeda. Bye Dr. James!"

"You wanted to talk to me, dad?" Andromeda asked hesitantly, turning away from her retreating friend and towards her father.

He smiled reassuringly and clasped a hand on her shoulder.

"Come on now, I bet there's someone else out there with a present for you!"

"Someone else?" she questioned as he lead her back to the front of the room.

He pressed the intercom button and selected Reactor Level.

"Jonas?" he asked.

 _"Hey Doc,"_ Jonas's voice said through the speaker. _"We're all set down here."_

"Thanks. I'll send her right down," her father said, turning to her. "That was Jonas on the intercom. He and I have been cooking up a little surprise present."

Her eyes widened. Another present? And a surprise one at that? It had to be something big!

"Jonas is waiting for you downstairs on the Reactor Level. Go ahead, I don't think anyone will mind if you slip out for a few minutes."

"Aren't you coming?" she asked hopefully.

"I'll be down in just a minute," he assured, reaching out and ruffling her hair. "Go on. We can't keep Jonas waiting."

She nodded and nearly sprinted towards the door, trying to hurry but not draw attention to herself at the same time. She could hear her dad chuckling behind her.

The door slid open and she slipped out.

"Happy birthday, deary!"

She nearly jumped a foot in the air. Beatrice Armstrong, was coming down the hall towards her, the airy grin she always wore stretched across her face.

She liked Beatrice well enough, but the woman always spoke to her like she was five years old. She did that to all the kids of the Vault. And none of them liked it.

"My goodness, I hope I didn't miss the party!" she gasped playfully.

Andromeda could have groaned.

"No. It's still on. I just... have to step out for awhile."

"Oh is that so? Well hurry back soon then. You wouldn't want to miss any of the fun!"

She nodded. "Yeah, my Dad and Amata threw a great party. Thank you for coming." She added, remembering what Amata had said about being a good hostess.

"My, aren't you so polite. Such a little lady. My, my. Ten years old already. Why, I can remember helping your dad change your diapers..." Beatrice trailed away, the dreamy, far away look a familiar one for her. She came back to reality quickly though and grinned wider. "And now, look at you! A great big grown up 10-year-old, with your very own Pip-Boy. And do you know what I did? Just for the occasion—"

She already knew what was coming.

"Wrote you a poem!" Beatrice exclaimed happily. "I hope you like it."

Beatrice always wrote people poems. Every birthday Andromeda got one, just like everyone in the Vault. They weren't even that good, but no one ever said anything. They didn't want to cause problems.

Besides, there wasn't a lot else that could be given as presents.

"Thank you. I will treasure it always," Andromeda lied. This thing was going straight into the box of other useless poems she had gotten over the years from Beatrice. "Is that all?"

"Of course!" Beatrice smiled. "Run along now, deary, and have yourself a wonderful birthday!"

She waved goodbye and raced in the opposite direction, away from Beatrice. Once she was safely around the corner, she slowed to a walk and breathed a deep sigh of relief. Hopefully Beatrice would bother Butch while she was gone. Maybe he and his gang would be gone by the time she got back.

She read the poem as she walked, hoping that Beatrice wouldn't ask her any questions about it once she got back. That had happened once on her seventh birthday and when Beatrice had found out she hadn't even glanced at it yet, she had Andromeda read it out loud in front of everyone. She wasn't going to let that happen again.

 _Grey walls, impenetrable steel._

 _Suffocation! Condemnation!_

 _Little hands groping in subterranean uncertainty._

 _Mommy? Daddy? Am I dead?_

 _Nay! Nay! Reborn into purifying fluorescence!_

 _A face emerges, strong and male._

 _Father to me? Father to all!_

 _Overseeing our lives, our eternities._

 _Harshness of discipline._

 _Harshness of love._

 _Obedience my savior!_

 _Larva to pupa, pupa to worker._

 _Buzz, buzz! One with the steel honeycomb._

 _10 lies within 101, significant at least._

 _Till gray seeps from the walls to hair, to soul._

 _Then, eternal slumber, the sweet sleep of incineration._

Andromeda made a face. It was a very somber and hard to read poem. A lot of the words didn't make sense to her.

She finally made it to the stairs that lead to the Reactor. They were dark and steep, usually off limits to children. Not that they didn't sneak down there all the time.

She took the steps two at a time, despite the danger of it, in too much of a hurry to get to her surprise present. She turned the courner to an equally dark section and decided to use her Pip-Boy for the first time.

The screen flared to life, showing her a medical scan of her body. Thankfully, nothing was wrong. Not that she thought it would be, but at least with the Pip-Boy it could keep an eye on everything for her.

She finally found what she was looking for after a lot of experimenting and turned the Pip-Boys flashlight on. The dark hallway lit up, its steel walls shining in the light.

She entered the Reactor Level and looked around for a familiar face. Jonas was nowhere to be seen.

"Jonas?" she called.

A young man stepped out from the shadows, a stern look on his handsome features.

"What are you doing down here, young lady? I thought kids weren't allowed down on the Reactor Level."

"I'm not a kid!" she declared proudly, not daunted by his scolding. She was 10 now, practically an adult! She could do whatever she wanted. "I'm ten years old now!"

Jonas face broke out into a wide smile and he laughed. "You sure are! Pip-Boy and everything, look at that!" he said, reaching out and ruffling her hair like he always did. "If you can wait just one more minute, I think your dad will want to give you the surprise himself."

"Did you help him on it, Jonas?" she asked, trying to dodge out of the way of his hands and laughing.

"Of course I did you little rascal!" he said, finally grabbing her and trapping her in a headlock, giving her a noogie. "You think he could have hid this from you all by himself? You know your father is horrible at keeping secrets from you."

She laughed and pulled free just as her father arrived.

"Dad!" she said happily, racing towards him.

She always felt better away from crowds, when it was just her, her dad and Jonas or Amata. She felt she could really be herself around them.

He laughed when she tackled him around the middle for a hug and wrapped his arms around her.

"What's gotten you so excited?" he laughed.

"You said you have a surprise for me," she said, looking up at him with a happy grin.

"That's right. I almost forgot about that," he joked before bending down to her level. "Are you ready for your surprise?"

She nodded hurriedly, bouncing on the ball of her feet. "What kind of surprise is it?"

Her father laughed again.

"The Overseer gave you your Pip-Boy, and you're old enough to do some work. So I figure you're old enough for this." He grabbed something leaning against the wall that she had missed in her excitement to get down there. "Your own BB gun! It's a little old, but it should work perfectly," he told her, handing over the long metal instrument to her.

She took it in her small hands, the gun making them look even smaller. She stared at its smooth surface in awe. The only types of guns she had seen belonged to the Security Guards.

Not even Butch had something like this! Oh she bet he would be so jealous if he knew!

"Jonas found it down here. It was in pretty rough shape- took us a good three month to find the parts to get it working again," her father explained. "You know how tough it is to find a spring that small? Good thing Butch 'misplaced' that switchblade of his." He laughed.

She grinned. She remembered how much Butch had bragged about how he had gotten a switchblade for his tenth birthday and how angry he had been when he had lost it. He had been so upset and it would have been funny if he hadn't decided to take it out on Freddie, certain the smaller boy had stolen it.

"So, what do you think? Want to give it a try?"

"Here?" she shook her head. Even she knew it would be dangerous to shoot a gun in here. "We can't shoot a gun here."

Her father laughed again. "Right you are. We can't shoot in here, unless we want the Overseer beating down our door. No, Jonas and I have found a place, though, C'mon."

He stood up and led her over to a room just off the main one, Jonas following behind.

The room was large and filled with old supply crates, most probably empty. There was another door leading to a second room off to the side, but it looked locked. Probably an escape door from the Reactor Room, which was just beside them. At the far end of the room stood a cement blocker and just behind that, some weird circular signs.

"Well, what do you think?" her father asked, laying a hand on her shoulder and giving it a happy squeeze. "You can come down her an shoot any time you want."

He gestured to the circular signs with the other hand.

"Really? Any time I want?"

He laughed. "Anytime you want. So long as it doesn't interfere with your schooling or chores."

She shook her head and promised him she would never do something like that. He laughed again at her frantic effort to convince him she would be good.

"This is so great... Thanks dad!"

"Couldn't have done it without Jonas' help. You make sure to thank him."

She spun around to where Jonas stood behind her, beaming. "Thank you Jonas!"

He smiled brightly and ruffled her hair again. "No problem sport. Hey, you don't turn 10 every day! Now go on and let me see you shoot something."

She turned back to her father, who directed her over to the blocker and the three circular signs.

"Now, just stand behind this blocker and aim at one of the signs. After that-"

But she'd already fired, missing the sign by a good couple feet. She frowned.

"Whoa there, slow down. Let me explain how you use it first," her father directed.

"Oh, sorry," she said sheepishly. She had just been so excited.

"Here," he directed, grabbing hold of the gun and positioning it for her. "Now, take your time, breathe slowly, sight down the barrel, and squeeze the trigger."

The gun went off with a resounding bang, hitting the edge of the target this time.

She lowered it in shock, her mouth hanging open in a wide 'O'. She had actually hit it.

"Way to go!" her father congratulated while Jonas cheered behind her. "You've got the makings of a great marksmen."

She smiled brightly up at him, glowing in the warmth of his praise.

Maybe she should have noticed then that her dad knew more about guns than most Vault dwellers, but she was to happy to care. To happy to find something to make him proud.

She took aim and fired again, hitting the target once more.

She shot until each of the signs had been hit at least once, elevated by her success.

Something scuttled out of the dark corner of the room.

"Careful! It's a Radroach," her father warned, reaching forward and grabbing her shoulder, dragging her back protectively.

Jonas moved forward as well, hovering around them, his hand also finding her other shoulder and gripping it protectively.

"A Radroach?" She had never heard of one of those before.

"Nasty little things," her father explained. "They pretty much keep to dark places, though. That's why there are always lights on in the Vaults. You think you can kill it? Save us all the problem of another Radroach infestation."

"Kill it? How am I supposed to do that?"

"I'd try using that new gun of yours!" he laughed. "They're pretty easy to kill. More a nuisance than anything else. Of course, you could just aim for the head. A good headshot will do a lot of damage to most things."

She looked back at him. Shooting targets was one thing, but a moving thing? A living, breathing, moving thing? She didn't know if she could...

"Just aim and shoot. You'll be fine," he assured, nodding towards the oversized bug only a foot or two from them.

She took a deep breath and raised the gun up, leveling her eye with the scope and pointing it at the creature.

The Radroach paused, its feelers twitching, and she fired.

She felt sick and ecstatic at the same time as the creatures head exploded in a spray of blood and shell.

She had just killed a living, breathing creature. Something that could probably feel pain. So why did she feel so thrilled as she watched its legs stop twitching?

She pushed the sickness down, focusing on the pride she felt. She had hit it. It would make her father proud.

"I can do it!" she said excitedly. She'd actually found something she was good at. She wasn't going to let it go.

"I know you can, and that's good. I'm not always going to be here to take care of you. You've got to learn to fend for yourself."

If she hadn't been so wrapped up in learning she could shoot, she might have clued in that his words held more meaning to them than previously thought. But she was to preoccupied and in the coming years would soon forget all about that cryptic warning. Until it was too late.

"Good work," he congratulated, wrapping one arm across her shoulders and squeezing her in for a one armed hug. "That's one less Radroach to deal with."

She smiled up at him; sure that today was the happiest day she had ever had. Or was ever going to have.

"Let's get a picture together. Capture the moment," he suggested, turning to Jonas. "Hey, Jonas, get a picture of me with the big game hunter!"

Jonas agreed and picked up the camera from the clinic off of one of the crates. "Smile!" he directed as he raised the camera.

She swore the grin she gave almost spilt her face in two, but she couldn't help it. She'd had a great birthday party, she finally got a Pip-Boy, Butch hadn't completely ruined her party, she had gotten so many presents and now she was shooting a BB gun and earning her dads praise. She didn't know how it could get much better.

The camera clicked and the flash went off, momentarily blinding her.

"There we go," Jonas' voice said from somewhere in front of her. "Once this is developed you'll have a nice picture of you and your dad to remember this day with."

She blinked a couple times to disperse the dark flecks in her vision and smiled.

Her father, his arm still around her shoulder, smiled down at her. "I've got to go check on some things. Why don't you go back and enjoy the rest of your party?"

She nodded, smiling up at him with all the devotion and love she felt, hoping he understood how happy she was.

"That's my girl," he said proudly, letting her go. "Have fun."

"Bye dad! Bye Jonas!" she called as she raced out of the room.

"Have fun at your party!" Jonas called after her, chuckling as he followed after her father back into the darkness.


	5. The Surprise Part 2

The cafeteria door opened to admit a bundle of excited energy and smiles. Andromeda couldn't be more thrilled. Her very own BB gun! She couldn't wait to tell Amata!

Right on cue, Amata appeared beside her.

"Where did you go?" she demanded.

"Oh, nowhere," Andromeda said, unable to keep the happy grin off her face as they headed together towards the cake. Ruined as it was, she would still gladly eat it. "I'll tell you about it later," she whispered her promise, mindful of all the adults and undesirable people around who would tattle on her if they only knew.

Amata nodded and made a zipped lips motion. She too knew that there were something's you didn't want overheard in the vault.

Before either one of them could reach the cake though, the Overseer stopped them.

"Andromeda. I hope you appreciate the effort Amata put into this party," he said, sounding as stern and pompous as ever. "She really seems to like you, for some reason."

"Dad!" Amata complained. Both of them were used to the Overseer's attitude towards Andromeda and her father, but it still stung, and the warmth of joy in her heart was slightly extinguished by his words. Amata was the only person who wanted to be her friend, yet her own father couldn't even understand why.

"I'm just saying I don't see why you hang out with her, Amata," he continued, as though Andromeda wasn't standing right in front of him. "Still," he continued, pausing to actually address her directly. "Perhaps she'll set a good example for you. There's still plenty of time for you to make something of yourself."

The coldness of the Vault had snuck back into her heart as she was reminded once again that she was worthless in the eyes of others. She never understood what they saw in her that made them say that, what she could possibly have done in her 10 years to make them hate her. Nothing came to mind. She wouldn't know until she was older what sorts of problems she had caused for the Vault, and how many of those were actually her fault.

"Argh! Dad! What is wrong with you?" Amata groaned in frustration, grabbing Andromeda's arm and dragging her away from him. "God, my dad can be so... so... so annoying sometimes!"

Once they were on the opposite side of the room from him, she turned back to Andromeda.

"I'm sorry about what he said. He just doesn't understand. I mean, we're best friends. Right?"

"Best friends," Andromeda assured with a soft nod.

Amata beamed at her. "Alright. You wait here. I'll see if I can salvage any cake from Andy," she said, rolling her eyes good-humoredly and raced back past her dad towards the service robot.

Andromeda smiled as she watched her friend leave. She didn't know what she would do without Amata. Her best and only friend was one of the only reason she hadn't been bored to death already.

Or dead at the hands of someone else...

"Hey, butt-head!"

Andromeda froze. She turned, unsurprised, to find Butch and his cronies standing behind her. She gulped.

Even on her birthday, he couldn't leave her alone.

"Old Lady Palmer gave you one of her sweetrolls, didn't she?' he demanded. "I'm hungry and that stupid robot destroyed the cake. I want it. Give it to me."

Andromeda took a step back in fear, her hand moving unconsciously to the sweetroll in her pocket. No, she didn't want to share. Not today. Not this. Not with him.

"Mrs.-Mrs. Palmer said I didn't have to share..."

"'Mrs. Palmer said I didn't have to share'," he mocked. "Who said anything about sharing, moron? I want the whole thing." He took a step towards her, his threat clear.

That's when she did something stupid. Maybe because deep down she actually was reckless, always toeing the line between danger and safety. Maybe because a small piece of her longed for danger. Or maybe she was simply stupid.

Maybe even it was because it wasn't something people expected from the shy, meek girl, and maybe that made her feel special, knowing she wasn't what they expected.

More likely though, it was from a sense of boredom.

Whatever it was, she spoke before she could stop herself.

"No."

"What did you say?"

"I said no. Go... go soak your head, Butch!"

She didn't even see Butch's fist come flying at her face, to proud of herself in that moment for standing up for herself.

Her butt hit the ground as the force of the hit knocked her over and pain erupted from her cheek and bum.

She looked up in fear as Butch approached her, a menacing look on his face. Oh she was going to get it now.

At that moment though, someone appeared behind Butch and grabbed him by his arm, heaving him away from her.

"Butch! What do you think you're doing? Hitting a girl, and on her birthday for heaven's sake!" Officer Gomez growled, shaking Butch.

"It's not my fault!" he whined, trying to get out of trouble. "You didn't hear what she said to me!"

"Can it. I've had it with you, Butch," Officer Gomez said. "I'm not going to tolerate any more of your bullying. Your mother is going to hear about this little incident."

Butch glared at her as he tugged his arm out of Officer Gomez's grip and she knew she would pay for this later. For a moment, she wished Officer Gomez hadn't stepped in. She could have just taken this one beating and then not have to worry about it. Now she was going to get it even worse.

"I can't believe my mom made me come to this stupid party," he grumbled, turning away from her and Officer Gomez. "Come on you guys."

As he and his followers left, Officer Gomez let out a breath.

"I hope Butch didn't hurt you," he said, turning to her. "Do you want to tell me what that was all about?"

"It was nothing. Don't worry about it, sir," she assured, staring at her feet.

"... Good," he clapped her on the back, nearly knocking her off balance. "Don't let Butch start to bully you or he'll never stop."

 _To late..._

"I've seen his type before. He's going to be a handful in a few years if his mother doesn't take him in hand." He gave her a worried look. "I'm going to give you some advice though. Stay away from Butch. He's nothing but trouble."

"I will," she promised softly. If only she could. But where could she hide from him in the Vault? There was no way to avoid him.

Except, maybe... in the Reactor... No one ever ventured far into it, so as long as she stayed in the back, no one would even know she was there. And! And! If he was ever chasing her, all she had to do was beat him to the Reactor and close the door! He wouldn't dare come after her.

With new resolve, she smiled up at Officer Gomez. "Thank you, sir. I will do my best."

Officer Gomez smiled back. "Good. Have a great rest of your birthday, Andromeda."

With that, he left, never knowing the amount of rule breaking she was planning in her own mind.

"Are you alright?" Amata questioned in a low voice, having rushed back to her friend when the commotion broke out, ready to defend her, but had hung back when Officer Gomez took over.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Andromeda assured, despite her throbbing cheek. She had a plan.

"God! That Butch is such a jerk! What's his problem anyway? I can't believe he tried to start a fight at your birthday party," she seethed, despite the fact that she had tried to start a fight not that long ago. "What a jerk."

"He tried to steal my sweet roll," Andromeda agreed, quite upset at the big jerk at the moment, uncurling her fingers from around the crushed sweet roll in her pocket. Even though it was destroyed, she still felt a small slice of satisfaction that had Butch gotten none.

"God, he really is a butthead. Oh well. You can always count on Butch to make an ass of himself. Get it?" she laughed at her own joke. Andromeda broke a smile, slightly amused by the joke, but more amused by her friends own enjoyment in her own joke. Amata was always the first to laugh at her own jokes. "Come on. Lets go see how everyone else is liking the party. And see if they have anymore presents for you!"

"Why don't you go around, Amata. You did plan the party. I'm just going to hang back for a bit... while things cool down," she glanced over at the table Butch and the others sat at. It would be best to avoid that side of the room for the rest of her party. "Maybe go get some ice from the Infirmary."

Really what she wanted to do was plan. This was so exciting! Maybe she could even set traps, to scare away anyone who shouldn't be there!

"You want me to go with you?"

"No, that's okay," she assured. "I shouldn't be long."

"Okay," Amata nodded. "See you when you get back."

Andromeda nodded and headed for the door. Out in the halls she let out a deep breath and let a wide grin spread across her face. With this, maybe, just maybe, life in this Vault could be different for her.

She turned a corner and promptly fled back behind it. It was the Overseer and Officer Kendall!

"Sounds like everybody's having a good time in there." She could hear Officer Kendall say.

The Overseer wasted no time. "Give them a few more minutes and then I want that place cleaned up and everyone back to work."

Andromeda felt a moment of panic. Already? But- But- Her party!

"Yes, sir," Officer Kendall replied. "Did you have a good time, sir?"

"Bah, I only showed up because Amata's friends with the brat and to fulfill my duties as Overseer," he grumbled. "I could care less about the brat or her father. As long as their useful to me, that's all I need."

The conversation abruptly stopped as she heard someone walk away.

She jumped nearly a foot in the air when Officer Kendall walked around it. Oh crap! She was going to get such a scolding for eavesdropping!

He smiled. "Hey there, ten years old today, right? Happy birthday." And walked past.

Andromeda stared after him, her eyes wide with shock. That was it? No scolding? No 'eavesdropping is wrong' speech? ... Had he even _realized_ she had been eavesdropping?

Officer Kendall wasn't the most observant person, they all knew that, but... she would have thought standing around a corner where people had just been talking about you might have been a bit of a tip off. Was he really that oblivious?

Whatever it was, she thanked her luck and, after a quick check down the hallway to make sure the Overseer was gone (he wouldn't be so oblivious), she quickly raced down the hall to the Infirmary, eager to grab some ice and head back to her party before it was shut down. After that maybe she could head back down to the Reactor and plan her booby-traps!

This, by far, even with Butch and the Overseer there, had to have been her best birthday party ever!


End file.
